Embodiments of the present invention relate to systems and methods that are used for cleaning teats of milk producing animals. More specifically, the invention pertains to those systems that utilize disinfectant applicators that are remotely operable, relative to a supply of disinfectant solution, for cleaning the teats of a milk-producing animal.
A variety of different methods and systems are presently available for cleaning teats from animals that produce milk. Several methods incorporate or utilize manual labor for cleaning the teats including the immersion of the teat in a dipping cup that includes a cleaning or disinfectant solution for a period of not less than one minute. Typically such cleaning solutions are iodine-based solutions or may include 5,000 ppm of chlorine dioxide, and have a thick syrup-like consistency and/or contain conditioning additives. A worker inserts the teat in the dipping cup to immerse the teat in the disinfectant. This is done sequentially for all teats on the animal. Because the solutions are thicker or contain one or more conditioning compounds, the solutions leave a residue (sometimes a tacky residue) that must be removed from the teat before milking. Accordingly, a worker uses a towel to dry each teat in preparation for milking. Such methods that incorporate these manual steps may be impractical for larger dairies, which may include thousands of cows. In addition, such method may be slower than systems that may include remotely operable solution applicators.
Systems are available that utilize rotating brushes in combination with a cleaning solution to clean teats. One such system is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/490,072 which has been sold and distributed by Puli-Sistem S.r.l. Such systems may include applicators having three rotating brushes, two of which rotate to scrub/clean a base of the teat, and a third brush which is arranged to scrub/clean a tip of the teat. The applicators are in fluid communication with a disinfectant source, which is supplied to the applicators as the brushes are rotating and scrubbing the teats. The applicators are remotely operated relative to the solution source.
However, such systems do not account for different teat lengths. As a departure from breeders of dairy cattle in foreign countries, American breeders and bull studs have concluded that shorter teats present many advantages to the traditional long-teated cow. Shorter teats are more functional for American dairies and milking practices, are less apt to be stepped on or injured and are less inclined to develop infections (mastitis). From multiple sources including scientific journals and compendia of data listing typical traits of dairy cows, it has been discovered that the teats of American dairy cows have incrementally shortened to an average length of 1.8″-1.9″. At current cow teat lengths, prior art, including the above-referenced Puli-Sistem cleaning system, contains a teat end brush that is too far away from the teat to adequately clean most cows' teats of American bred cows.
In addition, the brushes typically include bristles that are polypropylene filament bristles and are rotated at 1,000 rpm. The polypropylene bristles are rotated at such high speed cause discomfort to the animal during cleaning, which may adversely affect milk production. Current systems also fail to adequately seal moving parts from debris such as dirt, sand, etc., that is removed from the teats. Lubricants are used on the gears and the interface between the gears and brushes. The debris combined with the lubricant form an abrasive amalgam that prematurely degrades the components of the applicator. In addition, the excessive speed causes premature wear on components such as gears, bushings and the like.
Other problems associated with rotating brush systems include the disinfectant solutions, which often do not account for varying water qualities at different farm locations. Prior art systems that utilized an aqueous chlorine dioxide disinfectant solution, delivered the ClO2 disinfectant in a concentration of about 75 ppm. While this concentration may be effective for cleaning, impurities in water sources can react with the ClO2 dissipating the concentration of this active ingredient and the effectiveness of the solution. Moreover, these solutions contained conditioning additives that suffered from the above-described problems.
In addition, current solution delivery systems often do not provide a consistent concentration of the active chemical of the disinfectant solution to the rotating brushes. More specifically, the active chemical is supplied to the brushes in pulses interspersed with pulses of water without solution. Because each teat is an independent cleaning and disinfecting event, the lack of disinfectant on any one teat is considered an inadequate cleaning. Accordingly, a need exists for providing a system or method for cleaning animal teats that supplies disinfectant solutions to an applicator in a consistent concentration and in a manner that does not create discomfort prior to milking operations; and, the concentration of the active chemical of the solution is provided at such a concentration to account for varying water qualities at different milking facilities. Also, such a system preferably may account for the different teat lengths of animals.